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Thursday, April 19, 2012

[AlternativeAnswers] Natural Insect Repellents

Home remedies as plant insect repellents and plant fungus.

Insect repellents are substances applied on to the surfaces, skin or clothes to prevent insects from landing or climbing on them. Synthetic repellents are more effective and long lasting than natural repellents. These repellents help to prevent and control the outbreak of insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, bubonic plague etc. Insects such as flea, fly, mosquito and tick are the common vectors for carrying these diseases. Some commonly used insect repellents are DEET, catnip oil, neem oil, essential oil of lemon eucalyptus, citronella oil, bog myrtle and permethrin.

In recent years, the use of natural insect repellents has become popular. Herbs and other plants are used as great natural remedies to keep away insects. Here are a few cheap and natural solutions to keep insects away from your home and garden.

1.Ant Repellents 1.Vinegar: Wipe the place where you have spotted ants with a 50-50 mixture of vinegar and water. The smell of vinegar removes their scent trails and thus keeps them away.

2.Chalk/baby powder: Both chalk and baby powder contains talcum powder, which is a natural repellent. It is advised to draw a line of chalk or sprinkle some baby powder across the area where ants are entering your home.

3.Borax powder: Place a mixture of borax and sugar syrup where the ants will find it. Borax damages the digestive system of ants resulting in immediate death.

4.Coffee grounds: Sprinkle some coffee grounds in your garden around the house. This keeps ants away because of the smell.

5.Citrus Peels: Put citrus peels in hot water overnight. Then pour it around the plants where the ants are found.

1.Borax powder: Mix borax and sugar in equal quantities and apply it where cockroaches are found. By consuming this mixture, the borax destroys the digestive system of the roaches resulting in death.

2.Garlic, Cayenne powder and White Onion: Add equal quantities of garlic clove, cayenne powder and white onion to a quarter of water in a pan and boil. Pour the cooled mixture into a sprayer and spray in the areas where the cockroaches are found.

3.Hedgeapple: Keeping a hedgeapple in the room repels the cockroaches.

4.Catnip: This is a natural repellent containing nepetalactone which is non-toxic. Small sachets can be left in places where roaches are found. Also a mixture of catnip and water known as catnip tea can be sprayed to keep cockroaches away from baseboards and behind counters.

5.Spray soapy water directly on cockroaches to kill them.

6.Placing non-toxic traps also repels them away.

7.Diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled in hidden areas and it is a safe alternative.

3.Termite Repellents

1.Aloe Vera: A solution of aloe and water repels termites, when sprayed in their area of activity.

2.Castor Oil: Mix castor oil seeds, leaves and roots with water and soak it for 24 hours. Then strain the solution and spray on the affected area to repel the termites.

3.Mexican Poppy: Spraying a mixture of Mexican poppy oil and water around the infested area keeps away termites.

2.Garlic: Placing a piece of garlic under the soil of indoors plants repels bugs away.

3.Lemon or Lime: Spraying lemon or lime solution over the leaves of the plant acts a good repellent.

4.Marigold: Soak chopped marigold plants in boiled water. Once it is cooled, add some liquid soap drops and spray on the aphids.

5.Plant some nasturtiums, garlic and onions around the plants, which are more, attacked by the aphids.

6.Spraying the water from boiled sweet potatoes act as a natural repellent to keep away plant bugs.

6.Mosquito Repellents

1.Natural repellents like oil of eucalyptus concentration, soybean oil, citronella and rosemary help ward off the mosquitoes.

2.A mixture of garlic juice and water is an effective repellent as it keeps away the mosquitoes for 5-6 hours.

3.Neem oil extracted from neem tree is a natural and safe to use product.

4.Planting marigolds in your garden repels mosquitoes because of their fragrance.

5.Safe and non-toxic pheromone based mosquito traps are available now.

6.Planting Thai Lemon grass is considered to be a natural and effective mosquito repellent.

Thus, there are a large number of natural remedies available and learning these will provide freedom and relief from the adverse effects of chemical solutions. Also for plant fungus like spider mites here is a solution I found.

1 tbsp.of Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp. of liquid dish soap, 1 gallon of water, 1 or 2 drops of Neem oil (optional). Spray on plants. Do not store unused mixture. It is recommended that you water infected plants well couple of days before applying mixture and do not apply it in full sun. Spray on a small area first to test the plant's response.